On August 10, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Public Notice soliciting comments on a petition filed by the State E-rate Coordinators Association, which “seeks clarification of the extent to which E-rate rules permit service providers to bundle ineligible end-user devices with E-rate eligible services” and proposes several suggestions for clarifying eligibility and free services regulations. Comments were due on September 10, and the Commission received a number of comments from E-rate stakeholders.
In general, opinions regarding the petition were mixed. Some organizations fully supported SECA’s proposed free services regulations, while others partially supported SECA’s suggestions. By contrast, several stakeholders – Funds For Learning included – stated their belief that the existing regulations in the FCC’s Clarification Order are adequate and do not require further clarification. Stakeholders submitting comments include:
Stakeholders may submit reply comments in support of (or opposition to) comments previously filed by other organizations. Reply comments were due September 24, and two parties submitted reply comments:
